Milking-machine inflation



Nov. 23, 1937. w GREEN 2,099,884'

MILKING MACHINE INFLATION Filed Feb.'26, 1936 JUL/EJ777275 I 550595 M55522? Patented Nov. 23, 1937 PATENT or-r ce 2,099,884 MING-MACHINE INFLATION I George W. Green, Wilmette. IlL, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application February 26, 1936, Serial No. 85,828

4 Claims.- (01. 31-84) This invention relates to milking machines and more particularly to the inflations or teat-engaging rubber members.

The principal objects of the present invention are to increase the resistance to abrasion, and to provide increased resistance against collapse of the neck of the inflation, without materially increasing its resistance to bending.

Other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly broken away and partly in section, showing the preferred form of the invention. a

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion thereof taken on line 1-2 of Fig. 1, other parts being broken away. v

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the pulsator of a milking machine showing the inflations in place, one

2 of the inflations and the adjoining portion of the pulsator being partly broken away and partly in section to illustrate the bending of the inflations when not in milking position.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral ll des- 5 ignates the body of the inflation and II the tubular integral neck thereof, which are molded from elastic soft vulcanized rubber. These inflations have their necks slipped over tubular metal tubes I! attached tothe. cover I! ofa receiver ll.

Their bodies are enclosed by metal tubes I. The endsoftubes I! are diagcnaltotheiraxesas shown at II. The construction is such that when one of the inflations is not in contact with the teat of the cow. the flexibility 01' the neck ll 01' the inflation andthe weight of the inflation and its tube l6 cause the neck of the tube ll tobe bent so that its wall closes the diagonal endo! the 38 i2 and prevents entrance of air to the In this position the outer wall of the neck [I issubiectedtotensionand thepartthereofoverlying the rigidmetal tube l2 adjacent to its end It is especially vulnerable as to abrasion which is liable to occur should the cow kick the device.

Such abrasion of the tensioned portion has in the past prematurely ended the life of-the inflavtions.

In order to prevent such cutting and abrasion,

a series of spaced circumferential ribs II are formed integrally with the neck It in the region subjected to bending. These ribs, being arranged circumferentially in spaced relation, do not materially strengthen the tube against bending as thewallofthe tubebetweentheribsontheconvexed side of the tube may stretch freely while circumferentially reinforce the tube against undue flattening 'lbeboreoi theneckisuadesmoothandm brokensoastobereadilycleanedandtosecurely close the tube I! when it contacts with the end thereof. The increased thickness of the tube directly beneath the ribs so strengthens the tube against tension as to substantially conflne the 5 stretching due to bending to the protected portions of the wall between the ribs. The ribs natural resistance to'abrasion is therefore undiminished during the bending of the tube.

I claim: 10

1. An inflation for a milking machine, said,

inflation comprising a body provided with a tubu- .bular rubber neck adapted to be mounted at the 25 endofatubeofthemachineandto ciosethe end of the tube by flexing of the neck to position its inner wall against the tube end, said neck comprising circumferentially-extending rubber ribs integral with the neck and disposed in axially 3o spaced relation at the exterior of the neck in the tube closing region thereof.

3. An inflation for a milking machine, said inflation comprising a body provided with a tubular neck adaptedto bemountod'attheendofatube 35 ofthemachineandtoclo'sethetubebyilexinl of thenecktopositionitsinnerwailagainstthe tube end, said flexible neck comprising portions intberegionoftheendofthetubeoi'l increased thickness as compared with the neck 40 proper for preventing obiectionablysharp localiced bending in said region while permitting the neck to flex to close the tube end.

4. An inflation for a milking machine, said inflation comprising a body provided with a tubu- 45 larrubbernecka w to' bemountedatthe. endofatubeofthemachineandtoclosethetube byflexingofthenecktopositionitsinnerwall against the'tube end, said neck having outwardly projecting rubber portions in the region of the 50 endofthetubeintegralwiththerubberofthe neck proper providing intervening areas of lesser thickness than at said projecting portions, so that the neck has. adequate flexibility to close 55 the tube end'and at the same'time obiectionably "sharplocaliaedbendingoftheneckintheregion .ofthe tube endis avoided. Y

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